Tool handle



May 16, 1939. w PETERS 2,158,728

TOOL HANDLE Filed Oct. 6, 1958 v 9 5 I I! II ose /0/ 1 I INVENTOR,

PredericK W Peters 3 I BY dMMv QWM.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 16, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOOL HANDLE This inventionrelates to tools, and more particularly to the means for removably securing the shanks of tool implements within the handles therefor. It has for its general object to provide means whereby the implements may be secured firmly within their respective handles while enabling the former to be readily and conveniently removed.

Further and more limited objects of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows and in connection with the drawing forming part hereof, wherein Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a tool comprising a handle constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 a central longitudinal section through the handle, the implement being shown in elevation; Fig. 3 a sectional detail in perspective through the handle and the parts associated therewith for securing the shank of the implement in position; Fig. 4 a detail in perspective of thesleeve forming part'of theimplement-retaining means; Fig. 5 a detail in perspective of the spring forming part of the implement-retaining means; Fig.6 a detail insection'taken on u the line\66 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 7 a detail in mer preferably being of a size to cooperate with perspective of an implement employed with the handle.

Describing the parts by reference characters.

I denotes the shank portiqn of a tool implement,

such as a screwdriver, the said shank being pro-.

vided with wedge-shaped ends'2 and 3, the forscrews. varying in size from No. 5 to No. 8 and thelatter being of a size adapted to operate upon screws varying in size from No. 8 to N0. 16. It

will be noted that the shaft is angular in section, preferably square.

4 denotes the handle; which is provided with a bore 5 for the reception of a portion of the shank and either end of the implement l. The bore is also shown as square in cross section and is of sufficiently larger cross sectional area than the cross sectional area of the shank l'to enable it to receive within the .front portion thereof a sleeve 6, preferably of metal, the bottom and I sides of the sleeve fitting snugly against the bottom and sides of the bore and the rear portion of the top of the sleeve fitting snugly against the corresponding portion of the upper wall of the bore. The upper wall 6 of the sleeve is provided with a slot 1 of less width than the said wall, the front and rear walls defining the said slot being beveled upwardly, as shown at l and 1 The front wall ,I is shown as located adjacent to the front of the sleeve and the front end of thehandle. The front portion of the upper wall of the bore comprises theslde portions 6* which constitute continuations of the rear portion of said wall and a wall 6 located above the side portions 6 and connected therewith by short vertical walls 6, the construction providing a recess -8 extending rearwardly from the front of the handle bore above the upper wall of the sleeve and beyond the rear end of the slot and being preferably of substantially the same width as the slot.

9 denotes a metal block which extends across the rear end of the bore 5 and which forms a solid abutment for the end of the implement I within said bore.

Cooperating with the slot! and with the inclined walls 1* and l and with the upper wall 6' of the recess 8 is a slidable locking member indicated generally at 10. This locking member is preferably in the form of a spring made of fiat stock and having an intermediate depressed flat body portion l of less'length than the length of the, slot 1 and upwardly bowed ends I0 and m connected with said depressed body portion by inclined portions Ill and I0", respectively. The sleeve may be retained in place within the bore by being press-fitted within the said bore.

With the parts assembled as shown in Fig. 3 and prior to the insertion of the shank of the implement within the handle, the central portion I 0' of the spring will project slightly below the slot 1, with a small clearance between the tops of the bowed ends l and 1 and the upper wall of the recess 8. However, when the shank of the implement l is inserted into the sleeve, the corner I0 between the front bow and the body Ill of the spring will, as the shank is pushed rearwardy into the sleeve, be engaged by the shank and, due to such frictional engagement, the spring will be moved bodily rearwardly until such time as the top of the rear bow Ill will be wedged into locking engagement with the upper wall of the recess 8, through the action of the inclined surface Ill upon the inclined wall I which will press the corner I0 between the body Ill and the rear bow into firm frictional engagement with the top of the shank. The frictional grip exerted by the spring upon the shank of the imthe handle, it being noted that; as the implement is pulled outwardly or forwardly, the spring will be moved forwardly until the bow lll at the front of the spring is tightly wedged against the upper wall of the recess 8 through the action of the inclined wall I upon the inclined surface [0 .of the spring.

The sliding movement of the spring within the slot 1 is facilitated by the use, in the construction of the handle, of material having a smaller coeflicient of friction than that which exists between the'spring and the shank of the tool. The material which I prefer to use for the handle is what is known to the trade as acetate material, being similar in appearance to Celluloid but without the inflammability and liability to explosion of the latter material.

I have found that the action of the spring is facilitated by making the angular upward deflection of the walls l0 and HF and the angular downward deflection of the extreme ends of the bowed portionsof the spring not materially greater than 5 with respect to a plane extending through and constituting an extension of the middle portion Ill of the spring. In actual constructions which I have built, very satisfactory results have been obtained wherein the slot 1 was 3' 5" wide and 7 long, wherein the spring was wide, with the central portion thereof long, and with the bowed ends each long; and also wherein the recess 8 was slightly in excess of in width and deep.

The sleeve 6 not only cooperates in looking implements in place within the handle, but also strengthens the handle at the place where its cross section is usually diminished and where the strain incidental to the use of the implements is greatest.

For convenience of description the wall of the bore which is provided with the recess 8 has been referred to hereinbefore and will be referred to in the claim as the top or upper wall and the wall of the sleeve which is provided with the slot 1 will also be referred to as the top or upper wall of said sleeve.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

A tool comprising an implement having a shank and a handle, the said handle having a bore provided with a recess extending longitudinally thereof, a sleeve fitted within the said bore, the said sleeve being provided with a slot extending longitudinally thereof and in register with said recess, the walls defining the ends of the said slot being beveled rearwardly and forwardly toward the outer wall of the said recess, and a spring having a central body portion located within the slot and being of less length than the length of the said slot, said spring having bowed end portions extending from the body portion thereof the extreme ends of which end portions are adapted to ride upon the sleeve in front and at the rear of the said slot, respectively and adapted to be forced into engagement with the wall of the recess in register with the said slot by the action of the inclined walls at the front and rear ends of the said slot upon the corresponding inclined portions of the bowed ends of said spring.

FREDERICK W. PETERS. 

